The nuclear function of p53 is required for PUMA-mediated apoptosis induced by DNA damage

The tumor suppressor p53 can induce apoptosis by activating gene expression in the nucleus, or by directly permeabilizing mitochondria in the cytoplasm. It has been shown that PUMA, a downstream target of p53 and a BH3-only Bcl-2 family member, plays an essential role in apoptosis induced by both nuclear and cytoplasmic p53. To understand how PUMA does so, we used homologous recombination to delete the binding sites of p53 in the promoter of PUMA in human colorectal cancer cells. As a result, the induction of PUMA and apoptosis in response to p53 and DNA-damaging agents were abrogated. Transcription coactivator recruitment and histone modifications in the PUMA promoter were suppressed. However, induction of PUMA and apoptosis in response to non-DNA-damaging stimuli were unaffected. These results indicate that the binding of nuclear p53 to the specific sites within the PUMA promoter is essential for its ability to induce apoptosis and is likely to be required for its tumor suppressive capacity.